{"Status":true,"Message":"","Response":{"post":{"postuid":"dfc1ba8a-6184-45c4-8c7e-880586e0faef","tenantuid":"d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2","projectuid":"fc6490ac-7527-4f49-b06e-46f701280e85","title":"Getting started and setting up chat","slug":"article/setting-up-chat","html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis guide takes you from turning chat on to a working messenger on your website. It takes about ten minutes.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022before_you_start\u0022\u003EBefore you start\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EChat must be turned on for your account.\u003C/b\u003E Chat is switched on for a whole HelpGuides account at once. If you don\u0027t see \u003Cb\u003EInbox\u003C/b\u003E in your project\u0027s sidebar, contact HelpGuides support to turn it on.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPublish some articles.\u003C/b\u003E The AI agent answers only from published articles, so the more you\u0027ve published, the more it can answer. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/welcome\u0022\u003EWelcome to HelpGuides.io\u003C/a\u003E for creating and publishing content.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe AI can answer from several projects in your account, and you choose for each one whether answers link to its articles. So alongside your public help center, you can keep a project just for the chat, such as a sales playbook or internal notes, whose articles inform answers but are never shown or linked to visitors. Each project must be ticked under \u003Cb\u003EKnowledge sources\u003C/b\u003E before the AI uses it. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-knowledge-sources\u0022\u003EChat Knowledge Sources\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe AI can also call your own systems while it answers. For example, \u003Ca href=\u0022https://dailystory.com\u0022\u003EDailyStory\u0027s\u003C/a\u003E chat quotes license prices by calling DailyStory\u0027s pricing API. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-actions\u0022\u003EChat Actions\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022chat_setup_overview\u0022\u003EChat setup overview\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBelow is a video walking through the setup screens in chat.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\u0022https://player.vimeo.com/video/1237703949\u0022 width=\u0022640\u0022 height=\u0022360\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C/iframe\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u00221_choose_the_project_for_your_messenger\u0022\u003E1. Choose the project for your messenger\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach messenger belongs to one project. Its inbox, settings and conversations live in that project. Pick the project that best matches where the chat will appear, for example your main documentation project for a chat on your website. The messenger can still answer from your other projects.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u00222_open_messenger_settings\u0022\u003E2. Open Messenger settings\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOpen the project and click \u003Cb\u003EInbox\u003C/b\u003E in the sidebar.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EClick \u003Cb\u003EMessenger settings\u003C/b\u003E at the top right.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMessenger settings is split into tabs. The open tab is kept in the page address, so you can bookmark or share a link straight to one.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022lazy-load\u0022 data-src=\u0022https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2/fc6490ac-7527-4f49-b06e-46f701280e85/images/8128a22ff6ae426eacb64fbce0cf0b76.png?v=-839799509\u0022 data-width=\u00221250\u0022 data-height=\u0022413\u0022 style=\u0022max-width: 100%;\u0022 alt=\u0022Messenger settings with its tabs along the top and the General tab open, showing the Turn the messenger on switch\u0022/\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003EMessenger settings\u003C/figcaption\u003E\u003C/figure\u003E\u003Ctable border=\u00221\u0022 style=\u0022border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\u0022\u003E\u003Cthead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Cth\u003ETab\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003EWhat\u0027s on it\u003C/th\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/thead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGeneral\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ETurning the messenger on, support hours, and appearance (including the Help tab)\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAI agent\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EHow the AI behaves, and which knowledge sources it answers from\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERules\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EWhat happens for particular kinds of question\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETest\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ETry questions and keep a set of saved tests\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETeam members\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe AI agent\u0027s logo and each teammate\u0027s photo\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENotifications\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ETeams, Slack and email alerts, and emailing visitors\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EActions\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ELookups in your own systems the AI can make, such as prices\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProactive messages\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EMessages that start the conversation on chosen pages\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaved replies\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ECanned responses for your team\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EInstall \u0026amp; security\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe install snippet, identity verification, allowed websites, and whether visitors can send files and images\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/table\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u00223_configure_the_essentials\u0022\u003E3. Configure the essentials\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Ctable border=\u00221\u0022 style=\u0022border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\u0022\u003E\u003Cthead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Cth\u003ETab\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003EWhat to set\u003C/th\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/thead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGeneral\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ESwitch on \u003Cb\u003ETurn the messenger on\u003C/b\u003E. Under \u003Cb\u003EAppearance\u003C/b\u003E, set the brand color, position, team name, greeting, intro, expected reply time and the message shown when nobody on the team is online. \u003Cb\u003EShow help articles in the messenger\u003C/b\u003E adds a Help tab where visitors browse and search your help center, and \u003Cb\u003EHelp articles from\u003C/b\u003E picks the one project it shows. Optionally set \u003Cb\u003ESupport hours\u003C/b\u003E; see \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-support-hours\u0022\u003EChat Support Hours\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAI agent\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EGive the agent a name, choose a tone and answer length, and add a welcome message, suggested questions and any guidance. Under \u003Cb\u003EKnowledge sources\u003C/b\u003E, tick the projects the AI may answer from and describe each one. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/configuring-the-chat-ai-agent\u0022\u003EConfiguring the Chat AI Agent\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETeam members\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EUpload the AI agent\u0027s logo and your teammates\u0027 photos. Changes here save straight away.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENotifications\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EAdd a team with its Slack channel and email addresses. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-notifications-and-teams\u0022\u003EChat Notifications and Teams\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EInstall \u0026amp; security\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELet visitors send files and images\u003C/b\u003E is on by default. Turn it off to stop visitors uploading; your team can always send files. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/sending-files-and-images-in-chat\u0022\u003ESending Files and Images in Chat\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/table\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022lazy-load\u0022 data-src=\u0022https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2/fc6490ac-7527-4f49-b06e-46f701280e85/images/a26ee77f32424ca29bf8baf7ea77ceed.png?v=-2083849723\u0022 data-width=\u0022986\u0022 data-height=\u0022747\u0022 style=\u0022max-width: 100%;\u0022 alt=\u0022Appearance settings including Show help articles in the messenger and Help articles from\u0022/\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003EGeneral tab, Appearance\u003C/figcaption\u003E\u003C/figure\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022appearance_defaults\u0022\u003EAppearance defaults\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Ctable border=\u00221\u0022 style=\u0022border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\u0022\u003E\u003Cthead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Cth\u003ESetting\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003EDefault\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003ENotes\u003C/th\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/thead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBrand color\u003C/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EPosition\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E#2563eb, Bottom right\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGreeting\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EHi there \uD83D\uDC4B\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ESigned-in customers are greeted by first name (\u0022Hi Mason \uD83D\uDC4B\u0022) when your website passes their name. Put \u003Ccode\u003E{first_name}\u003C/code\u003E in the greeting to place the name yourself; it reads \u0022there\u0022 when the name isn\u0027t known.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EShow help articles in the messenger\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EOn\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EAdds a \u003Cb\u003EHelp\u003C/b\u003E tab for browsing and searching your help center inside the messenger\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHelp articles from\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThis messenger\u0027s project\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe one project the Help tab shows and searches, chosen from the projects in your account. The AI still answers from all your knowledge sources. A knowledge source with \u003Cb\u003ELink to articles\u003C/b\u003E off is never shown.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETeam name\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EYour account\u0027s name\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EIf your account has no name, the project\u0027s name is used without words like \u0022Documentation\u0022, \u0022Docs\u0022 or \u0022Help Center\u0022, so \u0022DailyStory Documentation\u0022 becomes \u0022DailyStory\u0022. Shown to visitors when your team is handling a conversation, and in alert and email subjects.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/table\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Cb\u003ERules\u003C/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EActions\u003C/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EProactive messages\u003C/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ESaved replies\u003C/b\u003E tabs are optional. You can set them up later. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-question-rules\u0022\u003EChat Question Rules\u003C/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-actions\u0022\u003EChat Actions\u003C/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-proactive-messages\u0022\u003EChat Proactive Messages\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClick \u003Cb\u003ESave settings\u003C/b\u003E at the bottom of the page. It saves every tab at once. Team member pictures and saved replies save on their own.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022ai_agent_defaults\u0022\u003EAI agent defaults\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Ctable border=\u00221\u0022 style=\u0022border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\u0022\u003E\u003Cthead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Cth\u003ESetting\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003EDefault\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003ENotes\u003C/th\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/thead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELet the AI agent answer first\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EOn\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EOff sends every conversation straight to the team\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAgent name\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EAI Agent\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EShown to visitors with an \u0022AI\u0022 tag\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETone\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EFriendly\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EFriendly, Professional, Neutral or Playful\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAnswer length\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EStandard\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EConcise, Standard or Thorough\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWelcome message\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EBlank\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe AI\u0027s first message in every new conversation, inside and outside support hours. If blank, a generic intro is shown. Outside support hours it\u0027s replaced only if you write an \u003Cb\u003EOut-of-hours welcome\u003C/b\u003E.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESuggested questions\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EBlank\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EUp to 4, one per line. Shown as buttons under the welcome; tapping one asks it.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuidance\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EBlank\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EHow the AI should behave. It still answers only from your articles.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAsk \u0022Did that help?\u0022 after answers\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EOn\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EAdds \u003Cb\u003EThat helped\u003C/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ETalk to a person\u003C/b\u003E buttons\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffer a follow-up form when a visitor shows buying intent\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EOn\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EFor questions like \u0022can I get a quote for 50 seats?\u0022 or \u0022can I book a demo?\u0022, the AI still answers, then asks for a name and email under its answer so sales can follow up. Once per conversation, and never when you already have their email. The prompt is editable. Sending the form hands the conversation to your team.\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECheck in when a visitor goes quiet after an answer\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EOn, after 2 minutes\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EOne short follow-up about that answer while the visitor still has the page open\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHand off when a visitor is frustrated\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EOn\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHand off the first time the agent can\u0027t answer\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EOff\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EWhen off, the AI hands off after two misses in a row\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/table\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u00224_try_it\u0022\u003E4. Try it\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the \u003Cb\u003EInstall \u0026amp; security\u003C/b\u003E tab, click \u003Cb\u003ETry it on this page\u003C/b\u003E. The real messenger opens on the settings page, so you can ask a question your articles cover and watch the AI answer.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOpen the \u003Cb\u003EInbox\u003C/b\u003E in another tab while you test. You\u0027ll see the conversation appear under \u003Cb\u003EAI live\u003C/b\u003E, with the answer streaming in.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo check answers without starting a conversation, use the \u003Cb\u003ETest\u003C/b\u003E tab. It shows the answer a visitor would get and the articles it cites, and you can save questions to re-run after every change. Tests use your saved settings, so save first. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/testing-the-chat-ai\u0022\u003ETesting the Chat AI\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u00225_install_it_on_your_website\u0022\u003E5. Install it on your website\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECopy the snippet from the \u003Cb\u003EInstall \u0026amp; security\u003C/b\u003E tab and add it to your website. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/installing-the-chat-messenger-on-your-website\u0022\u003EInstalling the Chat Messenger on Your Website\u003C/a\u003E. If your visitors sign in, also set up \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-identity-verification\u0022\u003EChat Identity Verification\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022lazy-load\u0022 data-src=\u0022https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2/fc6490ac-7527-4f49-b06e-46f701280e85/images/8b36d521c1b24e03a37ee77c5789c8aa.png?v=-817742886\u0022 data-width=\u0022986\u0022 data-height=\u0022428\u0022 style=\u0022max-width: 100%;\u0022 alt=\u0022The Install section of the Install and security tab, with the install snippet and the Copy snippet and Try it on this page buttons\u0022/\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003EInstall and security tab, Install\u003C/figcaption\u003E\u003C/figure\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022next_steps\u0022\u003ENext steps\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELearn the inbox: \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/using-the-chat-inbox\u0022\u003EUsing the Chat Inbox\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGet alerts on your phone: \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/using-the-chat-inbox-on-your-phone\u0022\u003EUsing the Chat Inbox on Your Phone\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStart conversations on key pages: \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-proactive-messages\u0022\u003EChat Proactive Messages\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETrack results: \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/chat-reports\u0022\u003EChat Reports\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E","publish_status":0,"post_type":"Article","authoruid":"3dde8c16-763a-4a2b-ae0b-1d8c50c62e3d","author":{"authoruid":"3dde8c16-763a-4a2b-ae0b-1d8c50c62e3d"},"featured_image_updating":false,"meta_description":"Set up a working chat messenger on your website in 10 minutes with this step-by-step guide to configuring HelpGuides\u0027 AI chat and installation.","display_toc":true,"has_workingcopy":false,"allow_indexing":true,"sort_order":0,"total_views":4,"date_published":"2026-09-26T16:45:00","date_updated":"2026-10-20T17:52:57.4","date_created":"2026-09-26T16:28:15.553"}}}